Remote control apparatus



March 14, 1944. R STEVEN'SQN. ET AL 2,344,473

REMOTEv CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 1942 EGE Suv :Hmmm

ATTORN EY S Patented Mar. .14, i944 amori: coN'raoL ArPAaArUs Robert Stevenson, Barrington, and Alexander W.

Keema, Providence, R. I., assignorsto Merit Engineering, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Application October 5,*1942, Serial No. 460,794

o 7 Claims. (CL 60-54.6)

'I'his invention relates to `a lremote control apparatusof the type in which the-transmission of movement from one actuating unit to another actuated unit is by liquid or hydraulic means.

Although the transmission in a remote control apparatus has been heretofore done by hydraulic means in which a piston movesthe liquid or is moved by the liquid at the remote location it is quite usual to actuate the piston and have the pistons in tur actuate some mechanical link and lever arrangementfor the transmission 'or conversion of power to or from the actutating piston. Such linkages and leverages become more orless easily worn and they are vmaterially retarded by friction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved means for actuating the piston in the actuating unit and an improved means actuated by the piston in the actuated unit. Y

Another object of this invention is to provide a control which will be relatively free from iriction. Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanical operating part acting in a liquid which' I will act as a lubricant for the movement of these parts one upon the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide the transmission of rotary movement to longitudinal movement through a screw action and vice 4versa whereby a positive conversion of movement from one direction to the other may be provided. i

Another object of this inventionis to provide an automatic means for maintaining liquid in a hydraulic transmission from. one unit to the other always full to capacity. p

Another object of this invention is to provide a means to control the reacting hydraulic pressure which acts upon the threaded member through which movement is applled to the actuating piston'. A i

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a construction having a theoretically unlimited angular rotation.AV

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of ccn` struction, as will be more fully described and particularlyv pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing p the actuating unit and actuated unit and fragmentally showing these units connected together: Fig. 2 is a similar section showing upon a larger scale a different position of the actuating unit;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the actuating screw or threaded shaft;

Fig. 4 is asection on line fl-L- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 6-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the collar vin which the valve is mounted;

FigA 7 is a sectional view showing this collar and 'valve assembly withhe removable valve seat which ismounted in the piston.

In proceeding with this invention We have provided two units having a conduit lconnecting them.

.'Ejach unit contains a chamber communicating with the conduit connecting theunits and pistons provided in the chambers, so that when one piston is moved to diminish the volume of liquid in the chamber the liquid is forced into the chamber in the other unit and forces the piston therein in a direction so that this unit increases its amount of fluid as the piston moves toprovide for it. The piston in the actuating unit is moved by a shaft having screw threads thereon while a threaded shaft in engagement with the piston in the actuated unit .is rotated in response to axial movement of the piston in this actuated unit'.

With reference'to the drawing i0 designates the actuating unit and Il the actuatedunit while I2 designates a conduit which may be of any desired length or shape which will transmit liquid from one unit to the other and which acts as the sole means of connectingthe units together. The actuatingunit Ill comprises a body I4 of generally cylindrical shape which has a cylindrical bore I5 extending inwardly from one end in which a piston i6 is slidably mounted. The bore of the body is reduced in diameter as at I'l so as to provide an abutment shoulder-i8 between the bores l5 and il while the bore formed from the opposite end is of one size at I9 substantially the same size as bore i5 and larger as at 20. y o

The piston i6 in the bore I5 has packing or piston rings 2l to prevent the passage of fluid along its surface which contacts with the bore IB. This piston is reduced as at 22 to slide in the bore il `while this extending tubular portion 22 is internally threaded as at 23 to engage the thread of the shaft 2li, which is rotatably mounted by means of a ball bearing 25 in the body It, which ts snuglv in the bore 2S of this body portion. A

is contained in the unit. An operating'handle 32 is secured in place by nut 32 on the end of the shaft 24. Spring 33 is under compression and acts between the nut 21 and a washer 34 which abuts against the end of piston collar 22 and tends to force thesev two threaded parts against which it presses in opposite directions thus. providing a balanced action on the shaft.

the space about the body i4. The body is pro- A vided with an axially extending conduit 44 which communicates with chamber 43 and the radially extending conduit 45 located in the flanged portion 46 of the body and to some convenient reservoir of supply which will provide such a head as to cause liquid to ow into and maintain the chamber 43 full of liquid'. y

The piston IB has a central internally threaded bore 48 into which a unit designated generally 49 and shown in Fig, 7 is threaded. This unit comprises a cylindrical portion 50 having a fia-nge 5i and an end wall 52 which is provided with a valve seat 53 in which there is located a valve 54 vhaving a tapered sealing surface 55 to mgage with the seat and enclose the same. On the end of Vthis valve an abutment and guide collar 56- is secured by means of a pin extending through opening 51 in the collar and through the end of the valve while a spring a abuts the collar 56 and forces the valve to its seat. The collar 56 slidably iits the portion 50 and -extends a substantial distance rearwardly of the unit '49 so that when the piston is moved to completely retracted position this collar 56 will engage the end of the shaft 24 and force the valve from its seat to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 'I or to the full line' position shown in Fig.v 1, the valve being shown in closed position and as spaced from the shaft 24 in Fig. 2. Grooves 58 are provided in the collar 56 to provide communication y with the interior of Unit 4S S0 that liquid in the chamber 43 may pass through the radial conduit 60 in the body and 60' in the piston to provide a communication between the supply reservoir 43 and its reservoir or chamber 38 when the piston comprises a body v65 having a cylindrical bore 66 extending from one end which is reduced as at i1 and then again enlarged as at t8 and further enlarged at69.

The piston 13 slidesin the bore I8 with its pacldngor Piston rings 1| to prevent. passage of liquid alongbetween the bore and the piston; O n one side of the pistonnis a chamber 12 which communicates with a conduit2. The

piston is tubular having a cavity 13 which is closed Aby a plus 14 instead of a valve as shown in connection with the other actuating imit. The

reduced portion ofv this piston 151s internally threadedasat 13soastohaveathreadedengagement with the shaft 11 which carries thread along the bore 61 in the body il. Shaft 11 is rotatably mounted in the body by means of the ball bearing unit 8l while leakage is prevented by asealingmeansl whichishousedintheclosure cap 82 for the end of the body 85 which is held inplace by the mounting bolts 33. Ay lever 84 is fixed to the shaft 11 so that as this shaft rotates this lever will swingto do such work as is required of it. A spring 33 acts against .an abutment washer 85 and also against an'y yabutment;l

washerv 81 which engages one end of the piston so astourge the pistonaxiallyinadirectionto decrease the volume of liquid in the chamber 112.Y 'I'he pitch of the plural threads is such that an-axial thrust of the piston will cause rotation of the shaft. An end wall 3l is secured by bolts 88' to close one end of the body 55 andis proprovides an annular chamber 9i which may convided with an opening As3 for threadingly connectlng conduit l2 to the unit. o

A shell 8U is positioned about the body 65 and tain fluid of a lubricating nature and which may connect through conduit l2 with the space 93 in which the spring 86 is located. By reason of this arrangement an expansion chamber is formed for any liquid which may be utilized to lubricate the shaft upon retraction of the piston from the position shown in Fig. l;

The spring 86 will at all times even when under compression exert less force upon piston 15 than will the spring 33 exert upon piston I6. Accordingly the lever 84 will remain in position-after it has been actuated to a certain predetennlneii point. The pitch of the screws or threads on shafts 11 and 24 will be the same so that a oorresponding movement of these shafts will be.

caused. Spring 33 although acting in one direction on the piston tending to move the shaft 24 is' compensated for by the same action of this spring upon nut 21 inthe opposite direction which nut also serves to'maintain this spring at constant strength and therefore at uniform pressure. Thus, any thrust which is caused by vthisspringtendingtomovetheslclaft24inone direction is neutralized by a thrust in the opposite direction of nut 21. tending to turn the shaft in the opposite direction and therefore by this arrangement the shaft is in balanced relation and there is no tendency to rotate the shaft in either `direction from the spring 33. Further, any pres- Vsuilicientlyso that thevalve 54 is closed, at which'4 point the handle 32 and the lever 34 are both located in the same angular position of rotation relative to the axis of the shafts 24 and 11, then any further movement of the lever 32 which will force the piston I3 to decrease the sise of the chamber 38 will cause the fluid to pass through the conduit I2 and correspondingly increase the size of the chamber 12 which is'of the same diameterbycausingthepiston 'llltobe'axlslly moved therein which in tlun will cause arotation of the shaft 11 and correspondingly move lever 34 to cause it to-angularly move handle 32 at somo point remote from the locition of the unit Il. Thelengthofthechamberandnmaybesudx aste cause-one or more complete'revoiutiomof the-lever. If.however.itisdesiredtoretard or move the lever 34 inl'the opposite direction it ismeielynecessarytomovsthehandleveruin 13, while this portion is keyed as at 19 to slide '15Y such" opposite direction whlcwill withdraw the piston It in the unit 'i0 and spring will be of such strength as to force the piston 10 to move the fluid out of the chamber 12 back into the chamber 38. through conduit I2 and will correspondingly turn the shaft I1 to retard the lever 84. After complete retraction of the lever 84 through movement of the piston 12 to the end of its stroke a further movement of the piston It by means of the handle 32 is permitted so that the valve 5t may be opened and any liquid which may have escaped from the system will be replenished automatically by reason of a sulcient head on the supply liquid which will force it into the actuating part of the system. A drain may be provided at plug 95 if desired for the escape of any liquid into the chamber Si.

We claim:

l. lAn actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for con. trolling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a reserve supply of liquid, and means including a valve in said piston to abut the end of said shaft and communicate the reserve supply .with the actuating liquid upon movement of the piston to its retracted position.

2. An actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a-rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a nut on said shaft also axially movable upon rotation of said shaft, and a spring under compression abutting said nut and piston to exert pressure in opposite directions thereon.

3. An actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to vcause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a nut on said shaft also axially movable upon rotauon of said shaft, and a spring under compression surrounding said shaft and abutting said nut and pistonto exert pressure in 'opposite directions thereon.

4. An actuating unit for a remote control ap'- paratus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatableshaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement oi' the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a reserve supply of liquid, and means including a valve in said piston to communicate the reserve supply with the actuating liquid upon movement of the piston to a predetermined position, a nut on said shaft also axially movable upon rotation of said shaft, and a spring under compression abutting said nut and pistonV to exert pressure in opposite directions thereon.

5. An actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, apiston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon' rotary movement of the shaft, a reserve supply of liquid, and

means including a valve in said piston to abut the end of said shaft and communicate the reserve supply with the actuating liquid upon movement of the piston to its retracted position, a nut on said shaft also axially movable upon rotation l of said shaft, and a spring under compression isurrounding said shaft and abutting said nut and piston to exert pressure in opposite directions thereon.

6. An actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft within said piston, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movementl of the piston upon rotary movement of 'the shaft, a reserve supply of liquid, a valve in said piston having a stem thereon, a collar on said valve stem guided in said piston and abutting the end of said shaft to communicate the reserve supply with the actuating liquid upon movement of the piston to its retracted position.

7. An actuating unit for a remote control apparatus comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in s aid casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft within said piston, and threaded. means between said shaft and pistonto cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a reserve supply of liquid, a valve in said piston having a stem thereon, a collar on said valve stem guided in said piston and abuttingl the end of said shaft to communicate the reserve supply with the actuating liquid upon movement of the piston to its retracted position and a. spring acting between said piston andmcollar to close said valve.

ROBERT STEVENSON.

ALEXANDER W. KEEMA. 

